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The Grüner Veltliner Singletree Winery

by | Oct 23, 2019 | Uncategorized

There are many sides to Abbotsford. It’s either characterized as a suburban jungle, or rural hotspot for farmers, or that highway-side town you pass through as quickly as traffic will allow, but when you look past the big box stores you find that Abbotsford’s agriculture culture is pretty, well, sophisticated. Adding to that sophistication is Abbotsford’s Mt. Lehman region, which is where you’ll find Singletree Winery. 

Singletree Winery is a small 15-acre farm that was established in 2010 by the Etsell family who went wino in 2015. They produce some lesser-known wines like Siegerrebe and Grüner Veltliner in the Fraser Valley and opened up a second location in Naramata where they produce their red wines. 

We got our hands on the 2018 Grüner Veltliner, which was cool-fermented in stainless steel tanks – if that means anything to you. 

The Grüner Veltliner grape originates in Austria and is mainly grown in cooler northern European climates much like the climate in the Fraser Valley. Its name translates to “Green Wine of Veltlin,” which is a valley in the lower Alps that belonged to Austria in the 1600s. A few wars and fallen empires later and the region is now Italian and is now known as Valtellina, Italy. 

Over 75% of Grüner Veltliner is grown in Austria. 

Grüner Veltliner is characterized as a dry wine that leans towards lime, lemon and grapefruit flavours and maybe even a bit of peach. It’s a little spicy and a little herbaceous, but it’s known for being quite acidic which makes it a great wine for rich food. Think schnitzel. 

What is cool-fermentation?

Great question. To cold or cool-fermented wines means that while wine is undergoing fermentation temperatures of the tank are kept at around 6 – 10 °C, which helps preserve delicate aromas that are lost at higher temperatures.

The Singletree Grüner Veltliner leans towards the peach notes on the spectrum of fruit and is not as acidic as one might expect from a Grüner Veltliner. It has some lovely peppery notes that dull that peachy sweetness. Its texture is smooth and finishes crisp and acidity low enough that it’s drinkable on its own or with that schnitzel you are now craving. 

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